By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's women's basketball team will be aiming to snap a four-game losing skid Thursday night when the Ichabods host Rogers State in a 5:30 p.m. MIAA contest at Lee Arena.
The Ichabods, 7-10 overall, 3-8 in the MIAA, are coming off a tough 55-51 loss to No. 16-ranked Nebraska-Kearney last Saturday while Rogers State has lost five in a row and is 4-15 overall and 2-11 in the MIAA.
Washburn junior point guard Aubree Dewey (3), talking with Ichabod coach Lora Westling, leads WU in scoring, assists and minutes played entering Thursday's home game against Rogers State. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn has been competitive throughout its four-game winless streak, including back-to-back single-digit defeats against MIAA stalwarts Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney, and WU coach Lora Westling said her team continues to be upbeat.
"They've been tremendous,'' Westling said. "We started from early on in preseason talking about small bites of progress and not really being results-driven and they've done an incedible job of that. I think they see the improvement and how we're playing.
"They see the improvement in their personal development and we're close and they're still working as hard as ever and still trying. Against four of the top five teams in the league we were competitive. We're getting there slowly, but surely.''
Washburn defeated Rogers State earlier this season, picking up a 55-45 road victory on Dec. 10, 2022.
Washburn is averaging 55.1 points and ranks fourth in the league in fewest points allowed per game, holding opponents to 56.8 points per game.
Ichabod junior Aubree Dewey Dewey is averaging a team-high 10.4 points, 3.4 assists and 32.4 minutes per game.
Freshman Natalia Figueroa is scoring 8.6 points a game and has made a team-high 30 3-pointers while Macy Doebele contributes 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench. In MIAA games Doebele is 40 of 49 at the free throw line for an 81.6 percentage, ranking fifth in the league.
Freshman Gabi Artis is also averaging 6.9 points and averaged 12.0 in two games last week, putting up 16 points against Fort Hays and eight against Nebraska-Kearney.
Emma Chapman tied her career-high last Saturday with a team-high 13 points.
Rogers State's Bailey Kliewer has played the second-most minutes of any MIAA player so far this season and she leads the Hillcat offense with 12.6 points per game and adds 5.5 rebounds a game.
Washburn will finish off its four-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against Northeastern State.
